The definition nobody gives you
Most outdoor lighting is trying to cover ground. Accent lighting inverts that. It is not coverage. One feature, lit deliberately, while everything around it stays dark. The dark part is not an oversight. It is the other half of the effect.The concept
https://penzu.com/p/5a87c586bd3e8a96 is simple to say and hard to hold to. Choose two or three features and let the rest of the property stay dark. The pull is always to light one more thing, and holding it is the entire skill.
Good candidates
Some things take light well and some do not. Anything with surface relief responds well, because light raking across a rough surface creates shadow and shadow creates interest. Smooth surfaces reflect light without doing anything with it. Form is the second test.
The most common mistake
Plans go wrong by addition. The homeowner likes the first uplit tree and asks for a second, then the whole bed, then the driveway. Once the whole yard is bright, nothing is emphasized, and the plan is just illumination. Restraint is the actual skill here.The best accent plans tend to look almost underdone on paper and exactly right on the property at night, which is why they are hard to sell and easy to appreciate.
How it fits with the rest
On most properties it is part of a larger plan. Landscape lighting covers the beds, paths and trees more broadly. Security lighting covers approaches and dark corners. Roofline lighting takes care of the house itself. It is what makes a plan look considered.
Output is a design decision
Accent fixtures do not need to be bright. Your eyes adjust to darkness, so a small amount of light reads as a lot. You are creating a point of interest, not lighting a work area.
Two directions, two moods
Accent light arrives from one of two directions, and the two look nothing alike. Uplighting comes from below, so it reads as dramatic and slightly theatrical. Downlighting comes from above, the way light normally does, so it feels natural and calm.
A maintenance note
Landscape accents point at plants, and plants move. Growth closes over a fixture, and ground level fixtures get knocked out of position. Nothing is broken. It simply needs adjusting. Re aiming every couple of seasons keeps the plan looking the way it was designed to.Aim gets checked the same way the design was made: by standing on the property after dark and looking.
Having a plan drawn
The choices are property specific, so the plan begins with somebody coming out. EverCrest Lighting does accent lighting along with landscape, patio, security and permanent roofline systems for homes and businesses across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. The consultation is free. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].